Book-support.



PATENI'E'D MAR. 14, 1905..

G. L. T. DENNISS. BOOK SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1904- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEIcE.

BOOK-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,734, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed June 6, 1904. Serial NO- 1 ,Zo'ctZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE LAKE TALBOT DENNISS, lieutenant-colonel, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 5 Trinity road, Folkestone, county of Kent, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in connection with suspenders, supports, or rests for holding books for reading and like purposes, the object being to provide means whereby a book can be carried in an adjustable position upon a support or device capable of being placed at an angle and at any desired position to suit the convenience and position of the reader without readjustment.

The invention briefly consists in providing an adjustable holding device or rest for the book of a nature which will hold the book at any desired angle and then suspending such holder from a bar swiveled on a stand or other suitable support and adapted to be counterbalanced by adjustable or detachable weights in order that the height of the book or its position in the front, right, or left of the reader, as well as its angle of inclination, may be readily adjusted to suit the position and convenience of the reader, so that once adjusted the book can be moved at will high or low, to the right or left, or closer to 01' farther away from the reader.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of abook-support made in accordance with my invention. Fig. l is a detail side view and partial section of a slight modification of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a further modification of my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the book-holder in one position. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same in another position. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views to be hereinafter referred to.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one modification, as illustrated in Fig. 1, a bar a is supported, as at b, on asuitable standard. The standard is adapted to stand on the floor; but it may be of other form suitable for a table or in the form of a bracket for attachment to a wall or ceiling.

The connection at b is adapted to allow the bar a to swivel in any direction. In the form shown in Fig. 1 it simply comprises a small bracket 7), having a pin loosely bearing in the top of the standard to permit horizontal movement, and a second pin 0, on which the bar can move or oscillate in a vertical plane. The oscillations may be limited by chains or cords (Z. The book is intended to be carried in any suitable holder permitting of angular adjustment, such holde'r being suspended on a cord or chain c, which may be directly attached to the end f of the bar or led over hooks or pulleys below the bar to a hook g on the standard, as indicated in Fig. 1. In either case the bar, with the book and holder sus-' edge of the bar being serrated in order that the Weights may be placed and retained in the requisite positions. \Vhen the bar is thus counterbalanced, it may be moved into any desired position and will remain there.

As before stated, any suitable book-holder may be employed; but one of the nature illustrated is preferred. This comprises a grid or framework 2', provided with lower upturned hooks j and upper downwardly-turned hooks in. The latter are adjustable inordcr to enable them to be adjusted to suit books of various sizes. They are free to slide on the bars 1 of the grid, and when moved to the top thereof may be swiveled, so as to lie flat, as shown in the left of the grid, Fig. 2. \Vhen lowered to grip a book, the small extensions 21/ on them are adapted to slide onto short rods 11, by which they are locked against swiveling. The grid 07 is pivoted at 0 n to a suspension-rial p, bent like a spur and suitably held in a ring to which the chain (a, cord, rod, or other suspension from the bar a is attached. The grid being pivoted, it may be adjusted to any desired angle to suit the convenience of the reader. For instance, in Fig. 3 it is shown in a suitable position for a reader who is sitting up in a chair, while in Fig. 4 it is shown in a position to suit a reader who is reclining on a couch or lying in bed with his face turned up to the ceiling. 6., reading on his back. The grid t' can be disengaged from the chain c and sections to facilitate packing.

hooked onto the bar at f when the reader is standing. It may be retained in the desired position by any suitable catch or device such, for example, as a ratchet or crinkled wire 7', adapted to engage the grid or a loop 8 thereon. The grid may be formed with a handle t.

In carrying out the invention according to the modification illustrated in Figs. 2, 5, and 6 the bar (6 is not serrated, as in Fig. 1, but is plain and preferably of circular cross-section. It rests in and is securely attached to a loop a, forming a fairly long bearing, the loop.being pivoted on the pin 0 in the bracket 7), which swivels on the top of the standard. The bar is adjusted by the counterbalance weight or weights h, which may be simply hung on the rear end, as shown. Several weights may be provided to allow for considerable variations in weights of books, and they may when not required be placed on a cup or tray w. Smaller weights may, if desired, be used to obtain the required balance and may be suspended to the grid or rest. A clip of any desired form for instance, as shown at a), Fig. 7for a newspaper may be hung on the hook Q1.

The holder in Fig. 2 is shown suspended on wires ;2 connected by a swivel The standard may be of several detachable It will be understood that the book can be accurately counterbalanced, so that it is practically floating, and can be drawn to any position to which the reader may desire by the handle 6 without any readjustment. As the book is floating the handle 2, is generally held so as to direct it.

The swiveling arm may obviously be suspended from brackets from the ceiling or wall. The manner of pivoting the arm and adjusting the weights and the form of book-holder may all be variously modified to suit the varying circumstances under which the invention is to be applied.

Having now described my invention, what 1, claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A book-supporting device comprising a pivoted bar, a support therefor, a book-holder comprising a frame having hooks for engaging a book suspended from said bar and counterweights for counterbalancing the weight of the book and holder.

2. A book-supporting device comprising a bar, a support therefor, a universal joint between said bar and its support, a book-holder suspended from said bar and counterweights for counterbalancing the weight of the book and holder.

3. A book-supporting device comprising a bar, a swivel support therefor,eounterweights on said bar and a book-holder suspended from the bar, consisting of a frame having hooks for engaging a book, such frame being pivoted in order to permit angular adjustment and also having means for locking it in the adjusted position.

4. A book-supporting device comprising a standard, a bar supported thereon by means of a swivel-joint, a book-holder comprising a frame having hooks for engaging a book suspended from one end of said bar and counterweights suspended from the other end to counterbalance the weight of the book substantially as hereinbefore described.

5. In a book-supporting device comprising a bar pivoted on a universal joint, and having counterbalance-Weights, a book-holder suspended from said bar consisting of a grid, fixed lower hooks on said grid for holding a book, upper hooks adapted to slide to suit books of various sizes, and means for locking said adjustable hooks, the said latter hooks being also adapted to lie flat if desired and a handle on said grid, substantially as hereinbefore described.

6. In a book-supporting device comprising a bar pivoted on a universal joint, and having counterbalance-weights, a book-holder suspended from said bar consisting of a grid, fixed lower hooks on said grid for holding a book, upper hooks adapted to slide to suit books of various sizes, and means for locking said adjustable hooks, the said latter hooks being also adapted to lie flat if desired, a bandle on said grid and the whole book-holder being pivoted to permit angular adjustment and having a ratchet-bar for locking it in the adjusted position, substantially as hereinbefore described.

in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE LAKE TALBOT liENNlSb.

\Vitnesses:

RANDOLPH G. L. DRAKE BROCKMAN, F. D. PIERSON. 

